Peachtree – Cherokee County Schools has received word that no additional permits will be required on the site of its new School of Innovation & Technology, along U.S. 64 near Tri-County Community College’s main campus.
A letter received by the district from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last week stated that no further permitting would be required of the district, allowing work to resume at the site. Following an inspection by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last month, it was found that the site does not impact jurisdictional waters and wetlands, and as a result is exempt from regulation.
Schools Superintendent Jeana Conley said the letter was enough for the district to allow construction to resume on the new school campus.
“I have told the board, and the majority of the board was in favor of the greenlight with the contractor, so I guess that’s where we are,” Conley said.
Construction had been halted since March, when concerns were raised about the site being near a known slave cemetery. Wetlands concerns involving the Corps of Engineers were raised later.
“I’m glad to know that we took that extra step, and that environmentally we are sound in what’s going on over there. And just the fact that students will benefit from such a great opportunity to have the alternative school, Early College and career academy so close to Tri-County Community College,” Conley said.
She said construction was cleared to restart as early as Thursday.
Conley added that representatives from the office of the N.C. State Archaeologist have given some recommendations after their investigation during the same time frame. However, the likelihood of coming across human remains was very slim, with the known cemetery across the road from the school site. The board would discuss the recommendations at its next meeting.
“We’ll have to look at which ones we’ll be able to apply or not,” Conley said.
She emphasized that the district was under no legal obligation to follow the state’s archaeological
recommendations.